Marco D’Andrea was born in Sharon, a small Ontario town. When he was growing up this was a semi-rural community and the legacy of the 1970s—long hair, big cars, loud stereo systems, and hard rock on vinyl—still had influence. His father was born in Italy and discovered what it meant to be Canadian in a big backyard, a canoe, camping trips, rock bands, and beer. D’Andrea grew up in this mix of Italian Catholicism and hard-rocking working-class Canadiana. He now lives in Hamilton and the city’s cultural identity of declining industrial manufacturing, its DIY spirit, and salvaging culture influences his work.
D’Andrea received a BFA in Media Arts from NSCAD and an MFA from the University of Guelph. His work has been shown in a variety of settings across Ontario, including public galleries, artist-run centres, and at art and music festivals as site specific installations. Recent shows include the in/Future festival in Toronto and the Windsor-Essex Triennial of Contemporary Art. In addition to sculpture and installation, he creates sound compositions and has a new record with Geej Recordings. D’Andrea is part of an art collective/heavy metal band called Shit Pyre and is an active member of Casino Artspace, a collaborative studio/gallery/art collective in Hamilton.